Following acquisition of the former INM print plant on the outskirts of Dublin, independent contract printer Webprint is upgrading equipment to allow expansion, save money and boost quality.

With experience of press automation at its Cork plant in south-western Ireland, the company will be the first in the country to install QI Press Controls’ IDS-3D system.

Webprint (Adenium) is to install the closed-loop colour technology on its eight-unit manroland Geoman, with the IDS-3D system also controlling dampening and smart presets, while cut-off and ribbon sidelay will be handled by mRC-3D cameras.

Webprint Concepts took over the former Independent News and Media facility in Dublin’s Citywest last March, with the upgrades needed to facilitate planned expansion. “Investing in press automation is mainly driven by costs, but quality is also a big factor,” said managing director Donagh O'Doherty (pictured). “Given the significant rise in newsprint prices, the saving on start-up waste is more important than ever.

“In addition, there should be more time for printers to maintain the press with this automation in place.”

Web print has experience of QIPC’s press automation in its Mahon, Cork plant as part of a KBA installation in 2006. “Given this, we know that with this kind of automation we can fulfil the aim that our newspaper printing and web offset printing techniques are the best in the market.”

Ireland’s largest independent coldset web printer, Webprint was originally founded as a contract national and regional newspaper printer, but now also offers print management and distribution for a wide range of commercial and newspaper clients in Ireland and the UK.